1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to gutter debris barrier systems, also known as gutter guards, which are placed on or about rain gutters located adjacent to a roof of a building to permit the passage of water while preventing debris from entering into and collecting in the gutter.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
A common problem with rain gutters is that they become clogged or jammed with various debris including leaves, needles, shingle sand, and other materials that fall onto the gutter. Functionality of the rain gutter is dramatically decreased once debris enters the gutter. Consequently, a property owner is required to repeatedly clean out rain gutters over the course of a year. To address this issue, gutter debris barrier systems, or gutter guards, have been introduced to prevent debris from collecting within the gutter. The goal of gutter guards is to prevent debris from entering the gutter while still maintaining water flow through the gutter guard and into the gutter, such that water is not dripping down the outside of the gutter, and ultimately the building.
The most primitive debris barrier systems consist of a guard that simply included a screen with multiple holes that is laid across the gutter. These systems attempted to balance the need for holes large enough for sufficient flow of water while small enough to prevent debris from flowing through the screen. Over time, more sophisticated guard systems were developed. For instance, mesh filter elements have been used with sufficiently small holes to allow the flow of water therethrough. These mesh filter elements often are supported by a frame that includes channels and holes to guide the flow of water down into the gutter. These systems block substantially all debris from entering while allowing high volumes of water to pass through to the gutter. U.S. Pat. No. 7,310,912, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, discloses such a system.
Both gutter systems and gutter guards can experience problems when freezing temperatures are encountered. For instance, a gutter that has been clogged with debris will pool water, which can ultimately freeze and cause further backup. Even where gutter guards are used, snow or water can enter into the gutter and freeze along or adjacent to the gutter. These issues can be exacerbated by runoff that results from the melting of snow and ice on the roof, which then runs down into the relatively cold gutter and re-freezes. This can result in ice dam formation in and around the gutter and on the roof. Further still, when functionality of a gutter and/or gutter guard is compromised, large icicles can form on the outer surface of the gutter. These icicles contribute significant weight to the gutter. Additionally, in the event that the mesh filter element freezes over, snow and ice can gather on the top of the filter element. The weight of this buildup can be significant, requiring the mesh filter element to withstand substantial loads.
To avoid the freezing effects discussed above, various deicing gutters or gutter guard systems utilize an electrical heating element such as a wire or coil. The heating element can be mounting to the gutter, to the gutter guard, or beneath the roofline. Assuming the gutter is metallic, the heat will be transmitted throughout the gutter to thaw any ice buildup and prevent further freezing.
A number of the drawbacks experienced with previous gutter guard systems were largely alleviated with the introduction of the gutter debris barrier system described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 8,079,183 and 8,438,787, which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. The gutter debris bather system disclosed in these patents features a rigid frame with a filter element supported above the frame. One side of the frame is mounted beneath the shingles of the roof, and the other side is attached to the lip of the outer wall of the gutter. Longitudinally extending ribs are located within the frame, with slotted channels being formed between the ribs for the direction of water into the underling gutter. The ribs are generally rectangular when viewed in transverse cross section, and their sides thus extend generally perpendicularly from the floor of the frame. Activation of a heating element located adjacent to the frame heats the frame, the filter element, the flange, and the gutter.
While serving as an effective debris barrier and encouraging deicing in and around the gutter, there are several disadvantages to this system.
First, the frame is mounted beneath the shingles of the roof, which can cause damage to the roof and/or shingles. Furthermore, by peeling back the shingles to install the frame, any warranty on the shingles may be voided.
Another drawback to this system is that the channels are flat rather than tapered, creating the risk of the pooling of water in the channels in the presence of even small amounts of debris or non-planarity of the channels. The pooled water can freeze with resultant detrimental effects. Additionally, in having the ribs that extend at substantially right angles from the floor of the gutter, the distance through the floor and up each rib can result in a relatively long heat transfer path from the heat source through the floor, to the ribs, and ultimately the filter element. Heating efficiency thus is degraded.
In addition, the presence of rectangular ribs and the associated sharp transitions between ribs produces a relatively weak frame.
Thus, there remains room for improvement in gutter debris barrier systems by providing a system that is mountable about the gutter without interfering with the shingles on the roof.
Additionally, there is need for a gutter debris barrier system with different ribs that facilitate a shorter heat travel path and reduce pooling of water.
There is additionally a need for a gutter debris barrier system having a frame that is stronger than known frames.